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Men and Heart Disease Fact Sheet

Heart Disease Facts in Men

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men in the United States, killing 321,000 men in 2013—that’s 1 in every 4 male deaths.1

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men of most racial/ethnic groups in the United States, including African Americans, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Hispanics, and whites. For Asian American or Pacific Islander men, heart disease is second only to cancer.2

About 8.5% of all white men, 7.9% of black men, and 6.3% of Mexican American men have coronary heart disease.3

Half of the men who die suddenly of coronary heart disease have no previous symptoms.3 Even if you have no symptoms, you may still be at risk for heart disease.

Between 70% and 89% of sudden cardiac events occur in men.3

Risk Factors

High blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. About half of Americans (49%) have at least one of these three risk factors.4

Several other medical conditions and lifestyle choices can also put people at a higher risk for heart disease, including: